EMI takes locks off music tracks

EMI is taking security locks off downloaded songs. Some may scream “at last!” and I’d be among them if it wasn’t for one thing: why do these tracks cost more than the normal versions? Their argument is that they’re more portable and that they’re higher quality.

Fact is, if I pay for a track I expect it to be portable. I expect to be able to listen to it on my PC, my laptop, my MP3 player, my car stereo, my home stereo and to be able to take it to a friend’s house. Why should I be charged extra for this privilege.

As for higher quality… most MP3s I’ve seen for download seem to be 192Kbps which is more than needed. I always resample mine down to 128Kbps which (I think?) is CD quality. Regardless, with the equipment I’ve got I can’t hear any difference between 192 and 128 – just that the latter is around 25-33% smaller in filesize. I’m certain that upping the download “quality” to 256Kbps or higher will be even less useful to the average punter. They’ll only end up downloading a larger file which sounds the same as on half it’s size!

Horse shit. It’s the same product, priced higher, with no more “features” (What the fuck? Features?), the same sound quality as far as the human ear is concerned and “hassle free interoperability” that we’ve had from tapes, LPs and CDs for decades. So, by my reckoning, to all intents and purposes it’s actually just “the same product, priced higher”.

Yet another case of a record company trying to sound magnanimous about making more money from us by attempting to give us something we should get for our money anyway. Stinks of the hoo-hah over legally downloadable films… another laughable attempt to keep up with technology.

Being a bit of a premature old geezer, I’m still very much stuck on my vinyl collection. I spend a few quid on a little black disc – (IT’s MINE!!!!), I can play it on my record player, I can take it to a mates house and play it on his record player, I can take it to a gig, and the DJ can play it for everybody to dance to….. etc. I can record it to tape, or I can record it to MP3,which I can then play on any damn MP3 player I chose. You can bet your… Read more »

I don’t think I’ve ever paid for a download. I generally use them as “tasters”. If I like a band/artist then I’ll usually buy the CD because I like having them on a shelf. Well… when I had shelves…

Right now, I’m travelling and buying CDs is a pain in the arse as they take up space in my rucksack and have to send them home once in a while, risking the evils of the customs people trying to rip me off with duty fees.